Opposition leaders in Bihar staged a protest outside the State Assembly on Thursday against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise being conducted by the Election Commission of India (ECI) ahead of the upcoming state elections expected later this year.
Protesting leaders from the INDIA bloc alleged that the revision of the electoral rolls under the SIR process could lead to voter manipulation and disenfranchisement of vulnerable communities.
While the official dates for the Bihar Assembly elections are yet to be announced, polls are anticipated around October or November. The ruling NDA—comprising the BJP, JD(U), and LJP—is preparing to defend its position, while the opposition alliance of RJD, Congress, and Left parties is working to oust Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.
Meanwhile, in the national capital, INDIA bloc MPs continued their protest at Parliament’s Makar Dwar for the fourth straight day, echoing similar demands for the immediate halt of the SIR exercise.
Senior opposition leaders, including Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi, JMM MP Mahua Maji, Deputy Opposition Leader in the Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi, and RJD MP Manoj Jha, held banners reading “SIR – Attack on Democracy” and reiterated that the exercise undermines the electoral process.
Congress MP Manickam Tagore filed an adjournment motion in the Lok Sabha, calling the SIR an “act of mass disenfranchisement” and accused the government of enabling “institutional voter cleansing.” He said the exercise contradicts the constitutional vision of universal suffrage as enshrined by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar.
In the Rajya Sabha, MPs Rajani Ashokrao Patil, Jebi Mather, Ranjeet Ranjan, Neeraj Dangi, and Akhilesh Prasad Singh submitted motions demanding suspension of Zero and Question Hours to allow debate on the SIR in Bihar and its potential expansion to states like West Bengal.
Patil’s motion warned that the exercise had “sparked grave apprehensions about potential electoral manipulation,” drawing parallels to similar concerns raised during the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections.
The opposition has vowed to continue protests until the Election Commission provides clarity and halts the SIR, which they claim undermines democratic participation.
